L'evoluzione dei sistemi di copertura a grande luce in Italia dal XVII al XIX secolo

The object of this paper is the development of long-span roofs in Italy between XVII and XIX century, with the aim of highlighting the transition from structures whose design and implementation was based on direct experience and practice to simplified trusses whose configuration progressively derived from the theories of the newborn Building Science. The article is based on the analysis of manuals, treatises, and publications of the time. Some case studies are also mentioned, including the great trusses of the Farnese Theater in Parma. In the nineteenth century the use of new methods to design and verify large-scale roofing, introduced by the engineers of the Polytechnic Schools, is accompanied by the gradual implementation of metal elements. In Italy, this process is less evident than in other European countries, distinguished by a pronounced industrial vocation.